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A.J. Brown Rightfully Blasts Eagles Fans Who Are Upset With Jason Kelce

#11 wasn't standing for the hate.

Brigid Kennedy

Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown on Feb 6, 2025.
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown on Feb 6, 2025. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images
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In the lead-up to Super Bowl LIX, everyone wanted to know who ex-NFL center Jason Kelce would be rooting for. Would he be cheering on the Kansas City Chiefs in honor of his brother, tight end Travis Kelce? Or would he focus on his former team, the Philadelphia Eagles?

Kelce played it right—he admitted on his podcast New Heights that he would be cheering for both sides, as he couldn't stomach cheering for just one or the other. And after the game, when the Birds emerged victorious, the 37-year-old posted a lengthy message on X (formerly Twitter) further explaining the conflicting emotions he had been and was still feeling while both congratulating his former franchise and commiserating with his brother.

Of course, as the internet never reacts normally to anything, critics still appeared in Kelce's comments, accusing the ex-center of being too wishy-washy or too dramatic in his reaction.

But one friend who had Kelce's back? Birds wideout A.J. Brown.

In response to another post defending the New Heights host, Brown chimed in with this own take: "If mf's mad at him, I know I don't stand a chance," he wrote. "These mfs really unbelievable and ungrateful."

As a champion for mental health, it's great to see Brown standing up for Kelce like this, though I'm sure he would have done it no matter what—as Eagles podcast host James Seltzer pointed out, Kelce helped Philly win its first-ever ring back in 2018 and spent his full 13-season career with the Birds. If the internet will get mad at such a respected franchise figure for rooting for his own flesh and blood, Brown is right—no one else stands a chance.

You do you, Jason.

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Brigid Kennedy
BRIGID KENNEDY

Brigid Kennedy is a contributor to the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Before joining SI in November 2024, she covered political news, sporting news and culture at TheWeek.com before moving to Livingetc, an interior design magazine. She is a graduate of Syracuse University, dual majoring in television, radio and film (from the Newhouse School of Public Communications) and marketing managment (from the Whitman School of Management). Offline, she enjoys going to the movies, reading and watching the Steelers.

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